All About McCain

[Alex]

Just saw and interesting factoid and it hadn't occurred to me. This morning, John McCain brought to an end a very long streak in Republican presidential politics:

2004 - George W Bush/Dick Cheney
2000 - George W Bush/Dick Cheney
1996 - Bob Dole/Jack Kemp
1992 - George HW Bush/Dan Quayle
1988 - George HW Bush/Dan Quayle
1984 - Ronald Reagan/George HW Bush
1980 - Ronald Reagan/George HW Bush
1976 - Gerald Ford/Bob Dole

Thus ends the streak of 8 straight Republican tickets with a Bush or a Dole on them.

[Alex]

Another thing I just noticed. Palin's second child is a 17-year-old named Bristol (female).

Keith Olbermann tonight noted that at one time Palin aspired to be a ESPN sportscaster.

ESPN is headquartered in Bristol, Connecticut. Maybe a connection? Has that been commented on at all today?

[Strangler Lewis]

Obama now has a campaign taunt available to him that probably hasn't been heard since the days of James Buchanan:

"First I'm going to beat you. Then I'm going to f*ck your vice president."

[Alex]

True, but if you were Buchanan would you have been able to resist the allure of William Dayton?

[Chernabog]

Originally Posted by Alex

True, but if you were Buchanan would you have been able to resist the allure of William Dayton?

And to think that one image just replaced my entire porn collection.

[scaeagles]

As I've thought about this and read about her, I 've come to the decision that she is a great choice for a few reasons.....

She solidifies the conservative base that has been wavering on McCain.

She is a pick that cannot be portrayed as just another white guy republican.

She has been a reformer in Alaska, where the government had been quite corrupt taking on the leadership within the republican party. Seems like she's tough.

She can appeal to those Hillary voters that (much to the chagrin of 3894) want to see a female on the ticket.

She is really a fiscal conservative, slashing unnecessary projects and cutting taxes in Alaska.

This is of course, without ever having seen or heard her outside a news clip or a sound bite.

To call her a Dan Quayle pick may be effective, but I am also of the opinion that calling Obama a Jimmy Carter pick can be effective.

[BDBopper]

If you want to know the impact of McCain's choice I've got a scoop.

My Mom is the secretary for a local Private school for special needs children. Once the parents found out that Palin has a child with down syndrome that is all they would talk about when the parents picked up their kids yesterday afternoon. Everything was overly positive and all of them will be voting for McCain/Palin (and some of these parents are liberal). Whether it is true or not the perception is that if McCain is elected the person a heartbeat away from the Presidency will understand what it is like to be a parent with a special needs child and understands their needs.

[3894]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

She can appeal to those Hillary voters that (much to the chagrin of 3894) want to see a female on the ticket.

But a female who wants to outlaw all abortions in every circumstance ... But then, working and middle- class Republicans vote against their self-interest all the time.

Originally Posted by Alex

In fact, I am so shocked by these patterns seen in response to the Biden/Palin selections that I will be submitting them as a topic for coverage in the next revival of Ripley's Believe it Or Not!

You're equating Biden with Palin? You need more sleep.

[scaeagles]

Originally Posted by 3894

But a female who wants to outlaw all abortions in every circumstance ... But then, working and middle- class Republicans vote against their self-interest all the time.

Perhaps to some voters an election is all about SELF interest. For example, if Obama wins and the Obama tax cut link posted by CP is accurate, I stand (assuming the cut happens, which is indeed not a gauruntee in the least if he wins) to get a HUGE tax cut. However, because I don't think his tax policies are best for the country overall, it doesn't affect my selection.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by 3894

You're equating Biden with Palin? You need more sleep.

Perhaps you need some sleep. I made absolutely no comment on either Biden or Palin in that post and certainly did nothing to compare them.

My comment was purely on the obviousness partisan nature of the responses by the nattering class to the selections. And that, therefore, they are essentially meaningless since they come from no attempt at actual analysis but rather are overt spin.

But if you'd like, here is my comparison of them:

In terms of the impact they have on how I am going to vote they are equal. I don't particularly give a damn who is selected as vice president because, though a non-zero chance, my views of the actual candidates for president are never so equal that I need to go to the twelfth tie-breaker.

As to which I would prefer be president if I had to choose between Biden and Palin, Biden would obviously be the choice. As to which I think would make a better advisor to the president, again I would say Biden.

That said, for me to say that I would not vote for Palin as president does not require me to decide she is a horrible person, or a horrible mother, or an idiot, or an empty shirt, or minimize her by calling her a MILF, or emphasizing that she once did well in a beauty pageant.

It is perfectly possible to think she is not cut out to be president while still thinking that she is likely a decent, intelligent, articulate person with whom I have significant political differences. 24 hours ago half the commentators on TV were still struggling to find the proper pronunciation of her name and yet by noon they had all set their opinions of her in Quikcrete. Opinions, that just oh so conveniently fit the narrative for success by their preferred candidate.

She may be the return of Dick Nixon or she may be the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln. It doesn't matter, she is on the underside of a political ticket lead by a candidate I'm not gonig to vote for regardless.